Approximately how much would it cost for a co2 setup for a 100 gallon tank? How much does it cost to refill a co2 tank/how often would I need to do it? Trying to figure out if I'll be able to afford to do co2 if I receive the tank/supplies for my birthday...if they're not too expensive.

To get a real set up it starts at about $150. I fully trust any guess made by Zorfox and also think 40 ish seems right at 24" depth water. So with a lot of at least med growth rate plants you won't need CO2. You might base your decision on it(when ever you do buy it) on if you feel like doing trimming every week or less than that because it does
make for fuller better growing plants...but at much faster rates than without it.
All the plants need not be fast growers, but you need some to help take up the higher rate of nutrients that the fast growth requires. Med light/w only slow growing plants = algae in most cases. If you can afford it and want it fine/your choice. Just be aware of a more expensive on-going routine. Almost everything except bright red plants can be
done without the CO2 and one very experienced aquarium person does the bright red plants without it also.

The shortest distance between any two points is a straight line...in the opposite direction...

Thank you! I just placed my order for the P+, it should be here Friday of next week, or beginning of the week after. I'm so excited!
What plants would be ones that take up a lot of nutrients? I have been researching and really love the look of tanks with large groups of the same type of plants, I think it looks fantastic. Plants I'm wanting to get(but still need to research, of course!) are:
Corkscrew or Jungle Val
Ludwigia Repens
Rotala Indica
Crypt Wendtii "Green"
Anubias Nana - already have a huge one that's been floating for a couple months.
Java Fern

I know the Rotala and Ludwigia might only be a bit red on the very top since I have a med. lighting.
I need something that will grow to the surface, so at least 23", to cover up the intake and output pipes and heater, and it looks like Val's would be best for that job.

Need some foreground and midground plants, and some that will take up a lot of nutrients to prevent algae growth, esp. because I plan on having a heavy stockload. I'm open to suggestions...but I can't be spending $10 on each plant considering how many I'm going to need to buy to plant this tank! The cheaper the better.

Petco often has the Repens at about $4. Rotala and them grow fairly fast though not
really in the fast category. They both take up the Potassium to. I know nothing about the vals(either kind) but the last three are slow growing and may do better(less likely to get GSA on the leaves if shaded. They all seem to sometimes get that because their leaves just stay longer due to slower growth. May take some time but either the Repens or Rotala I believe get tall enough to hide the pipes. Any stemmed plant can give you others as you just trim off the top and replant it. Plus when you do that the original plant often sends up other shoots from the bottom or somewhere on the stem.
Depending on which kind, the Crypts can be forground or mid as some get 10-12" tall
and there are small ones also. Check this list. Clic the name to get a picture.http://www.aqua-fish.net/index.php?c...=not&speed=not
Just don't expect exotic ones to be in every store.
Wisteria gets huge and grows very fast and uses more Potassium than most other plants so you may think about using it to block the pipes and heater but it's huge.

The shortest distance between any two points is a straight line...in the opposite direction...

Another question! Sorry, I got lots of 'em. I like to do my research
What would be the best carpeting plant for me? Taking into consideration that I don't have much money & have about medium light. I'd like something that will grow fairly quickly, if possible, but won't break the bank. I also like carpeting plants that stay fairly short.

http://www.aqua-fish.net/show.php?wh..._lang=2&id=152
I think this is that plant. Most red plants will just grow green if not under bright/high light. There are exceptions.
I suggest you read threads which have carpet plants in the pictures of the tank.
Then you can see what equipment they use to get that look.
In a 100g tank the carpet doesn't need to be short like 1.5" so perhaps you can make regular baby tears grow like a carpet as it requires no CO2 or high light.
But to make it look like a carpet you need to trim it weekly in order to keep it sprouting from the sides instead of the top. That is why most tanks/w carpet are small tanks.

The shortest distance between any two points is a straight line...in the opposite direction...

Good idea! I just love Dwarf Hairgrass, but I don't know how it'd fare in my tank. I can't find much info on how it would do in a tank like mine - est. medium lights, no co2(yet - fingers crossed for my birthday in April), with basic ferts. I don't mind a slow/medium growth rate as long as it'll actually grow!

By the way, what do you think of my 'nana'? She's just been floating for months, and I haven't had a light on my tank in weeks, but she doesn't care! What would you say one this size is worth?

Since I have yet to do any carpet and don't really plan on it either I've not watched to see just which one it is, but every week if not most days someone on here ask "What is necessary to grow this plant as I have yet to be successful at it?"
And of course they were talking about one kind of carpet plant, but which one I don't remember for lack of interest at the time I read those questions.
So mostly saying that one of them takes a good bit of effort in both learning about the how to and in equipment. It may be DHG.
I think that is just about as big of Anubia as I've seen. And in great shape too.
I have no idea of the price of the regular sized ones cause in my ten g tanks I've been drawn to narrow leaf plants so I'd only be making a wild guess at any price on that one
but it sure is a beauty.

The shortest distance between any two points is a straight line...in the opposite direction...

I didn't say they don't look nice, they are beautiful. After a while though, no matter how gorgeous, I get tired of looking at the same rocks, same driftwood, same structure, done in different ways. My point is an aquarium is a personal thing. If you like strict guidelines and the standard offset V-shape with a path of sand, then by all means. If you like flashy neon castles and animated mermaids, that's fine too. My taste leans toward natural but not sharply landscaped so that's what my tanks look like. I'm just saying he doesn't need to conform. In that sense, there are no "rules". If you like it, you do it. No harm.

I didn't say they don't look nice, they are beautiful. After a while though, no matter how gorgeous, I get tired of looking at the same rocks, same driftwood, same structure, done in different ways. My point is an aquarium is a personal thing. If you like strict guidelines and the standard offset V-shape with a path of sand, then by all means. If you like flashy neon castles and animated mermaids, that's fine too. My taste leans toward natural but not sharply landscaped so that's what my tanks look like. I'm just saying he doesn't need to conform. In that sense, there are no "rules". If you like it, you do it. No harm.

Nevertheless there are certain 'rules' that make for a more aesthetically pleasing view to the eye. This applies in general, not just in aquascaping. If you look at the pic above from post #21 the rules of thirds apply. If the red plant was dead center it would not be nearly as pleasant to look at. Aquascaping has it's appeal in creating an aesthetically pleasing view so you really can't escape this.

I didn't say they don't look nice, they are beautiful. After a while though, no matter how gorgeous, I get tired of looking at the same rocks, same driftwood, same structure, done in different ways. My point is an aquarium is a personal thing. If you like strict guidelines and the standard offset V-shape with a path of sand, then by all means. If you like flashy neon castles and animated mermaids, that's fine too. My taste leans toward natural but not sharply landscaped so that's what my tanks look like. I'm just saying he doesn't need to conform. In that sense, there are no "rules". If you like it, you do it. No harm.

Nevertheless there are certain 'rules' that make for a more aesthetically pleasing view to the eye. This applies in general, not just in aquascaping. If you look at the pic above from post #21 the rules of thirds apply. If the red plant was dead center it would not be nearly as pleasant to look at. Aquascaping has it's appeal in creating an aesthetically pleasing view so you really can't escape this.

I agree. I'm a photographer and the majority of great pictures are creative, artistic...and follow certain "rules" of photography. Anything that's pleasing to the eye almost always follows some type of rule. Doesn't mean that it can't be creative and unique at the same time.

Since I have yet to do any carpet and don't really plan on it either I've not watched to see just which one it is, but every week if not most days someone on here ask "What is necessary to grow this plant as I have yet to be successful at it?"
And of course they were talking about one kind of carpet plant, but which one I don't remember for lack of interest at the time I read those questions.
So mostly saying that one of them takes a good bit of effort in both learning about the how to and in equipment. It may be DHG.
I think that is just about as big of Anubia as I've seen. And in great shape too.
I have no idea of the price of the regular sized ones cause in my ten g tanks I've been drawn to narrow leaf plants so I'd only be making a wild guess at any price on that one
but it sure is a beauty.

I think I might hold off on a carpet for now. I'll see how I like the tank without one. I just bought 9 Emerald Green Cory Cats today(all my local store had) and will buy probably 6 or so more with their next shipment. I bet they'll prefer sand over carpet...maybe. I don't know! But either way, a carpet for a tank this size looks like it would be expensive to start so if I will hold off. If I think it needs a little some "extra" when I'm done planting, I'll try doing a carpet.

I almost killed the nana. Was taking stuff out of the tank and realized after an hour that I forgot to put it back in the tank! It recovered, thank goodness.
The reason I was asking for price is because I paid $25 and wasn't sure if that was a good deal or not. Either way I love it as I've never seen one this big for sale around here, or in Sacramento.

I'd say that in your part of the country it's a good price. Maybe $20 where the economy is slower. But then it's in "that category" where you may get offered $30 for it tomorrow, but then never again.
Later you might think you would like a small plateau in a corner which you can experiment trying a carpet on.
When leaves dry out they may die a couple of days later. I had that happen when scaping/w plants in a glass bowl and what stuck out the water died as I left it out like that for too long. Though it was OK as long as the roots were under.
Funny looking when only half a leaf dies. Those parts turned black on a Java Fern.
Then they gradually deteriorated.

The shortest distance between any two points is a straight line...in the opposite direction...

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